Postgame: Butler falls to Maryland 79-65

The Maryland Terrapins hand Butler its first loss of the 2017-18 season and of the LaVall Jordan era in a lights out shooting display.

Maryland’s offensive onslaught in the first half proved too much for the Bulldogs. Maryland shot 57% from the field in this game, and a blistering 70% in the first half. The first half attack was a seemingly endless barrage of threes, falling in at a 70% clip.

The offensive attack for Maryland was lead by Sophomore guard Anthony Cowan. Cowan, who hadn’t made a three so far in the season, knocked down three long balls and made 12-15 free throws to finish with 25 points. He also grabbed 10 rebounds to complete the double double and dished out five assists.

Despite what the box score might show, Butler didn’t play bad defense. The Dawgs forced 20 Terrapin turnovers, a remarkable stat considering the final score. It really just felt like Maryland’s night. At one point in the game, with the shot clock winding down, Cowan through up what must have been nearly a 30 foot shot that hit nothing but net: a representation of the kind of night the Terrapins had.

Redshirt sophomore Sean McDermott ended the game as Butler’s leading scorer with 17 points. Kelan Martin and Kamar Baldwin ended the game with 12 and 15 points respectively.

Butler’s offense left a little to be desired. The team shot a decent 36% from three, but a rough 34% from the field, but a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line.

Butler’s next game will be at home against Furman on Saturday afternoon, and should be a good opportunity for them to regroup and work out some kinks in the offense.

Maryland’s next game will be on Saturday as well against 0-3 Bucknell; another opportunity to dominate.

Player of the game:

Anthony Cowan blew the socks off of this Butler team. Guarding elite guards had been a problem for Butler last year, but the addition of Aaron Thompson to the backcourt seemed like it might alleviate that weakness. Maybe not. Cowan did whatever he wanted on that court, knocking down threes, getting to the rim, pulling down rebounds, and throwing lobs to his big men inside. If Cowan continues this level of play, Maryland could be a real contender come March.

I am from St. Louis, Missouri, and Butler University's Class of 2020.
I played Basketball at Lindbergh High School, but because of my 5'10" wingspan and even lower shooting percentage, I've decided to stick to writing.